Retaining Clip

ABSTRACT

A frame assembly for the display of holiday or seasonal decorations such as greeting cards, decorative lights, craft work, art objects and the like. The frame assembly includes a frame having a channel defined in a front surface of the frame along a margin thereof and a plurality of clips for securely retaining decorative items to the frame. The clip has a clip arm for securing the decorative items. The clip is attached to the frame by cooperative engagement of a finger and a latch arm extending from the clip, wherein the finger engages the frame channel and the latch arm engages a back surface of the frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to frames for the display of holiday orseasonal decorations such as greeting cards, decorative lights, craftwork, art objects and the like. The present invention also relates toclips for securing the decorative items to a frame. More particularly,the invention relates to a clip that can be securely attached to a framehaving a channel extending along the margins of a front surface of theframe.

2. Prior Art

Prior art seasonal display assemblies are known in which a plurality ofspecifically manufactured frame members are assembled to form a framefor the display of seasonal items. Frames for the display of strandedlights will typically have a plurality of bores or apertures to receivethe bulbs, or bulb sockets of a stranded light set, and maintain thelights in a desired display configuration. The apertures of such displayassemblies are limited in that they are defined at specific points inthe display frame members and allow for a limited number of points forplacing the bulbs along the frame. The apertures of such frames are alsolimited in that they do not permit the frame to secure other seasonalitems, such as cards, garlands or items other than those that will fitwithin the apertures.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A decorative display assembly for securely holding decorative items fordisplay such as holiday and seasonal decorations, including greetingcards, decorative lights, craft work, art objects and the like. Thedecorative display assembly includes a frame and a plurality of clipsattached to the frame for securing the decorative item to the frame.Another aspect of the invention is that the clips are adapted tosecurely attach to the frame, and in particular a frame having a channelor groove defined in the margin of the frame, such as a screen windowframe. According to this aspect of the invention, the clip has a fingerand a latch arm extending from a back surface of the clip forcooperative engagement with the frame to secure the clip thereto. Thefinger engages with the channel in the frame and the latch arm has alatching tab for engagement with a back surface of the frame. In certainembodiments of the invention, the clip engages with an adjacent wall ofthe frame channel, while in other embodiments of the invention, thefinger engages both walls of the channel, and in a preferred embodimentthe finger engages the channel with an interference fit.

According to other aspects of the invention, a decorative frame assemblycan be manufactured to a selection of standard sizes for retail sales,while in other aspects of the invention, the frame assembly can becustom ordered to a desired dimension. Because the frame members can beobtained from readily available sources, special tooling to manufacturethe frame components for a seasonal display can be avoided. The displayframe be readily assembled to support the display of items, while havingthe ability to be disassembled for storage when there is no need todisplay seasonal items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS

The invention will be further understood with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of a frame member.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross sectional view of a clip according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross sectional view of the clip of FIG. 2 attached tothe frame member of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of aclip attached to a frame member.

FIG. 5 depicts a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of aclip having a latch arm at a distal end of the clip.

FIG. 6 depicts a cross sectional view of the clip of FIG. 5 attached toa frame member.

FIG. 7 depicts a cross sectional view of another embodiment of a clipattached to a frame member.

FIG. 8 is a frontal view of a decorative display assembly with arectangular frame.

FIG. 9 depicts a round decorative display assembly with an item ofdecoration.

FIG. 10 depicts a frontal view of a corner section for assembling framemembers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the displayof items 50 such as holiday and seasonal decorations, including greetingcards, decorative lights, craft work, art objects and the like. Thedecorative display assembly 5 of invention includes a frame member 10and a plurality of clips 20 adapted to be securely attached to the frame10 for retaining and securely holding items to the frame 10. Thedecorative display assembly 5 with the decorative items can bepositioned in a window of a residence, office building or be placed atany other location to display the decorations. The clip 20 of thepresent invention is adapted to be secured to a frame 10, and isparticularly suited for attachment to a standard screen window frame 10.The clip 20 can be formed from plastics, metals, composites or anysuitable material. According to a method of the present invention, thedecorative display assembly 5 may be custom ordered to fit any desireddimension, such as a doorway or window opening.

A typical screen window frame member 10 is depicted in cross section inFIG. 1, in which the frame member 10 has a front surface 11, a backsurface 12 and at least one side surface 13. It will be understood thatthe designations of front and back are relative designations based onthe orientation of the frame member 10. Such frames are generallyconstructed of extruded aluminum, plastics, wood, composites or othersuitable materials. The decorative display assembly 5 may be formed tovirtually any desired shape such as a rectangle, as seen in reference toFIG. 4, or the round display assembly 5 depicted in FIG. 5. Frame member10 has a channel 14 defined in the front surface 11 of the frame alongthe margins of the frame. In a typical screen window frame member, thechannel 14 is usually utilized to receive a bead of resilient materialto secure and retain a porous screen material in the window frame. Theframe member 10 may be generally rectangular in cross section but mayalso include a ledge 15 defined around the inner margins of the backsurface 12, or similar functional and decorative aspects, such asrounded or contoured side surfaces 13, and the like. Similarly, theframe 10 may also include a flange 16 extending from the outer marginsof the frame 10 for added structural strength or for engagement of theframe with a mount installed in the window opening.

The frame 10 may be manufactured according to any known manufacturingmethod, however, because the frame 10 is intended for the display ofseasonal items 50, it is desirable that the frame 10 be capable of beingdisassembled for storage purposes at the conclusion of the season.Accordingly, as seen in reference to FIG. 8, a plurality of elongatemembers 30 can be assembled with a joining piece 40 to form a frame 10and be capable of easy disassembly for storage. The elongate members 30can be cut to standard lengths and sold with the joining piece 40 andclips 20 for retail sales as a frame kit. Alternatively, a homeownercould have a frame 10 custom fit for a desired window opening such thatthe elongate members 30 can be cut to custom order.

Joining piece 40 comprises a base plate 41 and a pair of legs 42 thatextend outwardly from the base plate 41, preferably in a planar relationto one another. In the embodiment shown, legs 42 are disposed at rightangles, however, legs 42 may be disposed at any desired anglecorresponding to the final shape of the frame 10, such as a triangle,rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, and the like. Moreover, additional legs 42can be included to form frames 10 with a more complex design. The legs42 are inserted into the internal cavity 19 of the extruded elongatemembers 30. Preferably legs 42 are dimensioned to engage the walls ofthe internal cavity 19 with an interference fit sufficient to maintainthe frame 10 in an assembled condition while permitting removal of thejoining piece 40 from the elongate members 30 during disassembly. Thiscan be facilitated by providing a lobe 43 at the ends and base portionsof the legs 42 so as to reduce the frictional contact area between thelegs 42 and the internal cavity 19.

As may be seen in reference to FIGS. 2-4, wherein like elements areindicated by the same reference numbers, the clip 20 of the presentinvention has a proximal end 21 and a distal end 22 and includes a baseelement 23 that has a first surface 24 that faces outwardly from theframe 10 when the clip 20 is attached thereto, and a second surface 25that will abut with and face the front surface 11 of the frame when theclip 20 is attached to the frame 10. The clip 20 further includes aflexible clip arm 26 that extends from a proximal end 21 of the base 23,which could within the scope of the invention, easily be reversed in itsorientation. While the clip arm 26 can have any shape suitable forsecurely holding item 50, preferably, the clip arm 26 will have a curvedportion 27 that extends at first outwardly from and then inwardlytowards the base 23, terminating at a constriction 28 between the cliparm 26 and the base element 23. The width of the constriction 28 isbased on the thickness of the intended item of display. To facilitatethe insertion of item 50 into the clip 20, the clip arm 26 willpreferably have an outwardly turned end portion 29 to define an openingthat is substantially wider than the constriction 28 such that theoutwardly turned portion will guide the article towards and intoconstriction 28, where the flexibility of the clip arm 26 will permitthe item to be secured by the clip 20. Item 50 secured by the clip 20,such as a wire for a stranded light set, may be completely receivedwithin the area between the constriction 28 and the proximal end of theclip 21 and retained therein by the flexure of the clip arm 26 towardsthe base element 23. Alternatively, item 50, such as a card, may beimpinged against the base element 23 by resilient flexure of the cliparm 28 against the item.

The clip 20 of the present invention is adapted to be securely andeasily attached to the frame 10 without the need for tools or adhesivesand the like. It is also readily adaptable to a range of existing windowscreen frame structures. The attachment elements of the clip 20 includea finger 31 that extends from the second surface 25 of the base element23 intermediate the proximate end 21 and the distal end 22 and a latcharm 32 that extends outwardly from the second surface 25 and has alength corresponding to the thickness of the frame 10. Latch arm 32should be sufficiently resilient to permit the latch arm 32 to flex inorder to facilitate attachment of the clip 20 to frame 10. A latch tab33 extends outwardly from the latch arm 32 towards the finger 31. Thelatch tab 10 engages with the back surface 12 of the frame 10 while thesecond surface 25 of the base element 23 is in abutment with the frontsurface 11 of the frame 10. It is also preferable that an inner surface34 of the latch arm 32 be in abutment with a side surface 13 of theframe 10.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the back surface 12 of the frame isessentially flat and the latch tab 33 engages the back surface 12.Alternatively, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the back surface 12further includes a ledge 15. In this instance, the latch tab 33 engagesthe back surface 12 at the ledge 15. In practical application, latch tab33 can engage with any rearwardly facing surface relative to a surface11 in abutment with the second surface 23 of the mounting clip 20. Asshown by a comparison between FIGS. 3 and 4 latch arm 32 extends fromthe proximate end of the base element 23. It is preferable that thefinger 31 is received within groove 14 such that it is at least inabutment with a proximate wall 17 of the channel 14, where the proximatewall 17 is located on the side of the channel 14 that closest to thelatch arm 32. More preferably, finger 31 will be in abutment with theproximate wall 17 and a distal wall 18 of the channel 14. For the bestresults in securing the clip 20 to the frame, finger 31 has aninterference fit within channel 14. According to a preferred embodiment,a slot 35 is defined between the inner surface 34 of the latch arm 32and will have a width corresponding to the width between the sidesurface 13 of the frame 10 and the proximate wall 17 of the channel 14.The clip 20 may be installed at any desired position on the frame 10,and may be adjusted along the length of the frame by sliding the clip 20laterally along the channel 14.

As may be seen in an alternative embodiment of the invention shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the clip 120 of the present invention has a proximate end121 and a distal end 122 and includes a base element 123 that has afirst surface 124 that faces outwardly from the frame 10 when the clip120 is attached thereto and a second surface 125 that will abut with andface the front surface 11 of the frame when the clip 120 is attached tothe frame 10. The clip 20 further includes a flexible clip arm 126 thatextends from the proximate end 121 of the base 123. While the clip arm126 can have any shape suitable for securely holding item 50,preferably, the clip arm 126 will have a curved portion 127 that extendsat first outwardly from and then inwardly towards the base 123,terminating at a constriction 128 between the clip arm 126 and the baseelement 123. As with the earlier embodiment, the width of theconstriction 128 can be chosen based on the thickness of the intendeditem of display.

In this embodiment, the attachment elements of the clip 120 include afinger 131 that extends from the second surface 125 of the base element123 intermediate the proximate end 121 and the distal end 122 and alatch arm 132 that extends outwardly from the second surface 125, thistime at the distal end 122. Latch arm 132 also has a lengthcorresponding to the thickness of the frame 10. A latch tab 133 extendsfrom the latch arm 132 towards the finger 131 for engagement with theback surface 12 of the frame 10 while the second surface 125 of the baseelement 123 is in abutment with the front surface 11 of the frame 10. Asin the previous embodiment, an inner surface 134 of the latch arm 132should preferably be in abutment with a side surface 13 of the frame 10.Latch arm 132 may further include a release tab 136 to assist withremoving the clip 120 from the frame 10.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the back surface 12 of theframe is essentially flat and the latch tab 133 engages the back surface12. The back surface 12 may of course include a ledge, in whichinstance, the latch tab 133 would engage the back surface 12 at theledge. As shown FIGS. 5 and 6, that latch arm 132 may extends from thedistal end of the base element 123. As with the previous embodiment, itis preferable that the finger 131 is received within groove 14 such thatit is at least in abutment with a proximate wall 17 of the channel 14,which in this embodiment is the wall opposite that of the previousembodiment, but is still located on the side of the channel 14 thatclosest to the latch arm 32. More preferably, finger 131 will be inabutment with the proximate wall 17 and a distal wall 18 of the channel14 and for the best results in securing the clip 120 to the frame,finger 131 will have an interference fit within channel 14. A slot 135is defined between the inner surface 134 of the latch arm 132, latch tab133, and finger 131 and will have a width corresponding to the widthbetween the side surface 13 of the frame 10 and the proximate wall 17 ofthe channel 14. The clip 120 may be installed at any desired position onthe frame 10, and may be adjusted along the length of the frame bysliding the clip 120 laterally in the channel 14.

As will be appreciated, a virtually unlimited range of displayarrangements may be obtained by variations in the shape of the frame 10and the number and placement of clips 20, 120 attached thereto, and theattachment of display items 50 thereto. As previously noted, adecorative display frame 10 in accordance with the present invention maybe manufactured and sold as kit containing pre-cut elongate members 30,a plurality of joining sections 40, and a plurality of clips 20 adaptedto be attached to the frame 10 for securing decorative item 50. Inaddition, a frame 10 in accordance with the present invention can becustom ordered to fit any desired window opening. A decorative displayframe 10 as contemplated herein could be installed to replace a windowscreen in a home so that is securely installed to display seasonallyappropriate item 50. Alternatively, the frame 10 could be attached to anexisting window frame or structure by any suitable fasteners, such aspins, bolts, or screws, hooks, adhesives, or hook and pile fasteners.

The simplicity and adaptability of the clip 20, 120 to various frame 10configurations and designs offer substantial cost savings. From amanufacturing standpoint, because the elongate members 30 can be readilyobtained from available sources, such as manufacturers of screenwindows, substantial savings can be realized in producing the displayassemblies of the present invention. The costs of specific dies andmolds for the seasonal display frame members can be eliminated andconcerns over excess stock and inventory of a seasonal item can beavoided. Moreover, because the clip 20, 120 of the invention is readilyadaptable to various window frame designs, the risks of being tied to aspecific frame member design or supply source can be avoided.

It will be appreciated that other variations and modifications of theforegoing will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are intendedto be encompassed by the claims appended hereto.

1. A clip adapted to retain an item to a frame in a secure manner, saidframe having a front surface, a back surface, a side surface, and achannel defined in said front surface along a margin of said frame,wherein said clip comprises: a base element; a flexible clip armextending from a first surface of said base element at a proximate endthereof and having an opening at a distal end thereof; a fingerextending from a second surface of said base element intermediate saidproximate end and said distal end wherein said finger is engageable insaid channel; and a latch arm extending from said second surface havinga latch tab engageable with a back surface of said frame.
 2. The clip ofclaim 1, wherein said latch arm extends from a proximal end of saidbase.
 3. The clip of claim 1, wherein said latch arm extends from adistal end of said base.
 4. The clip of claim 1, wherein said latch armfurther comprises a release tab, extending from a distal end of thelatch arm.
 5. The clip of claim 1, wherein said finger is engaged with aproximate wall of said channel when said latch tab is engaged with saidback surface.
 6. The clip of claim 5, wherein said finger is engagedwith a distal wall of said channel.
 7. The clip of claim 6, wherein saidfinger is engaged in said channel with an interference fit.
 8. Adecorative display frame assembly comprising: at least one frame memberhaving a front surface, a back surface, and a channel defined along amargin of said front surface; and a plurality of clips adapted tosecurely attach to said elongate frame members by cooperative engagementof a finger with said channel and a latch arm with said back surface ofsaid frame.
 9. The decorative display frame of claim 8, wherein saidfinger is positioned intermediate a proximate end and a distal end ofsaid base element.
 10. The decorative display frame of claim 8, whereinsaid finger engages an proximate wall of said channel.
 11. Thedecorative display frame of claim 10, wherein said finger engages adistal wall of said channel.
 12. The decorative display frame of claim11, wherein said finger engages said channel with an interference fit.13. The decorative display frame of claim 8, wherein said latch armextends from a proximal end of said base.
 11. The decorative displayframe of claim 8, wherein said latch arm extends from a distal end ofsaid base.
 12. The decorative display frame of claim 8, wherein saidframe further comprises a joining piece for interconnecting a pluralityof said frame members.
 13. The decorative display frame of claim 12,wherein said joining piece comprises: a base plate and a plurality oflegs extending from said base plate.
 14. The decorative display frame ofclaim 13, wherein said legs are removably received in an internal cavityof said frame member.
 15. The decorative display frame of claim 14,wherein said legs are received in said internal cavity with aninterference fit.
 16. A clip for attachment of display items to a framemember having a channel defined in a first surface thereof and a secondsurface facing in a direction opposite said first surface, said clipcomprising: a base element, a finger extending from said base elementand engageable in said channel; a latch arm extending from said baseelement and having a latch tab disposed near an end thereof forengagement with said second surface, and a flexible clip arm extendingfrom said base element at an end of said clip and adapted to retaindisplay items in a secure manner.
 17. The clip of claim 16, wherein saidfinger is disposed at a point intermediate a proximate end and a distalend of said clip.
 18. The clip of claim 16, wherein said latch arm isdisposed at said proximate end of said clip.
 19. The clip of claim 16,wherein said latch arm is disposed at said distal end of said clip. 20.The clip of claim 16, wherein an inner surface of said latch arm abuts aside surface of said frame member when said finger is engaged in saidchannel and said latch tab is engaged with said second surface.